India to take up 116 high impact projects in 31 provinces

NEW YORK (Pajhwok): India has announced to take up 116 “high impact community developmental projects” in 31 provinces. It has also offered assistance for six new projects in Afghanistan, a spokesperson of the India’s External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, has said.

A decision in this regard was taken during the meeting of President Ashraf Ghani with Swaraj on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session here.

“India and Afghanistan agreed to take up 116 high impact community development projects to be implemented in 31 provinces of Afghanistan,” the External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar, told reporters at a news conference here on Wednesday.

“Over and above these high impact projects, India has also offered assistance for six new projects under granting aid assistance from India. One of them low cost housing for returning Afghan refugees, road connectivity, national Park and economic development,” Kumar said.

In their meeting, Kumar said Swaraj and Ghani discussed the new “development partnership,” between the two countries, which was decided was during the visit of the Afghan foreign minister to India earlier this.

The two leaders also discussed aspect of peace and reconciliation process.

The move comes weeks after the US President Donald Trump pushed for greater developmental role for India in Afghanistan. Pakistan has opposed any such role for India.

The visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbas told a New York audience that Pakistan sees "zero" political or military role for India in Afghanistan.

“We don't foresee any political or military role for India in Afghanistan. I think it will just complicate the situation and it will not resolve anything. So if they want to do economic assistance, that's their prerogative, but we don't accept or see any role politically or militarily for India in Afghanistan," Abbasi said in response to a question at the Council on Foreign Relations here.

"Do you see a business role for them in Afghanistan as investors, as," he was asked. "That's up to them. All countries have the right to trade with each other, invest in other countries. So if they want to do that?and India has invested in Afghanistan in the past," Abbasi said.